Black-out flashlight



Patented Mar. 20, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE? B ACK-our FLAISHJLIGHT Louis A. Pope, Melrose, Mass. Aiih ie iienoeiober s 0,1942,seri lne.453,923

i "2 Claims; ('01. 240-1015) than the predetermined direction. i

" IA further object of the invention-is to provide anovel flashlight which is provided with a hood having an opening'through ,whichthe light is projected and which is also provided with gravityactuated means to maintain the opening 'closedexcept when it is directed in said predetermined direction. U

A still further object of the invention is to "provide a flashlight of the above typewitha gravity-actuated shutter locatedfwithin the hood and which operates by gravity to prevent light from being projected through the opening of the hoodexcept when said openingis directed in said predetermined direction.

For ordinary blackout use, the flashlight will be constructed so as to project the light downin one side through J'ecte'd.

,containingjthe cells or batteries 3 andalso containing the usual reflector 4 carrying thebulb fi. These parts may besuch. as are usually found in flashlights and form no part of the present invention. i

The flashlight herein shown is provided with a hood 6 whichis secured to the casing 2 atsthe ,bulb end thereof, said hood 6 being closed at its outer end but being provided'with an opening] which light may be prosecured to the 2 This hood may be any, suitable, way, and ,ashereinshown, i pro pose to provide the hood with a base portionfi which is interiorly screw-threaded andis adapt ed tobescrew-threaded to theexteriorf screw threads 9 with which the flashlight casings are usually provided for receiving the retaining. cap

"by which the lens is held in place. In thej'present construction this hood is providedfwithfan interior shoulder l0 adapted to engage'thej'edge of the reflector 4 and to hold said reflector clamped against the end of the casing.

wardly only, so that a person using the flashlight may be able to illuminate the surface on which he is walking without having any of the light projected upwardly, but if the user of the flashlight accidentally or intentionally moves the flashlight into any other position than that in which it directs the light downwardly, the gravity i actuated shutter will close the opening in the hood and thus cut off further projection of light from the flashlight.

In order to give an understanding of my invention, I have illustrated herein a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims. I

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through a flashlightembodying my invention showing it held in an operative position in which the light from the bulb is directed downwardly.

Fig. 2 is a similar sectional view showing the position of the parts when the opening through which the light is projected is closed by the shutter.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the flashlight.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4, Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 -5, Fig. 2.

In the drawing, I indicates the body of the flashlight which comprises the usual casing 2 path in which the user of the flashlight is walking, but cannot be used to project light 'in any H Situated within the hood t is"a'shutter which is adapted to prevent light from being" projected through said opening I except when'theflash- 7 As stated above for ordinary blackout use, such predetermined direction will be downwardly so that the flashlight can be used to illuminate the other direction than downwardly.

This shutter I I has a general cylindrical shape and is shown as pivotally mounted on the hood 5 so as to rotate freely about the axis of the flashlight. This shutter is shown as provided with an opening l2 in one side, and it is pro vided with a weight or weights I3 on said side which are sufiicient to maintain the shutter in V the position shown in the drawing with the opening I2 therein directed downwardly regardless of the position of the casing.

The shutter II is open at its end adjacent the bulb 5 and is shown as, closed atthe other end M. This closed end 14 is provided with a bearing portion l5 which fits around a hub orboss I6 with which the hood 6 is provided, said shutter being retained on the boss by a screw II which extends through an aperture in the shutter end I4 and screws into said boss. This provides a conaxis of the flashlight. However, because the shutforejcut ofi the light from "opening 1 of the hood.

"mg projected from the flashlight. V 7 v "The invention has been above describedas emb direct the light" downwardly only, because the f jected'depends upon the position vof the o in the shutterfand ifthis openingis in the side 'or'the top of "such weighted shutter, then the flashlight will op jer or upwardly only. r v

My invention, therefore,'provi'des a flashlight havingffgraivi'ty actuated means to prevent the ter is weighted as shown at l3, said shutter will be held by gravity in the position shown in the drawing withits opening 12 directed downwardly. When the flashlight is held in the position shown in Fig. 1 with the opening I of the hood- 5 on the underside thereof, said opening will then register with the opening I2 of the shutter and light from the bulb 5 will be projected through the registering openings l2 and ,1 and directed ard t- :4 1 1,

If person: holding the flashlightlturns it either accidentally or intentionally so that the opening 1 of the hood is directed upwardly orin an upward direction as shown in Fig. 2, the projection of light from the bulb will be out 01?, because during the turning movement of the casing from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2,the weights I3 of the shutter will main tain the shutter in a position with its opening 12 directed downwardly, and the shutter will, therethe upwardlydirected *In-oi'der to have-any light' from' the flashlight,

gravity-actuated shutter will'cut ofil'ight'from 0 the opening andthus prevent any light fromibea o'tli'edina flashlight which is constructed to shutte'ris so 'madethat its opening is always 'di recteddownwardly; The particular or, predetermined direction in which the light is propening, 40

ate to project light laterally light from being projected in any direction except a predetermined direction regardless of the 'position in which the flashlight is held.

- While I have illustrated a selectedembodiment of the invention, I do not wish to be limited to the constructional features shown.

I claim:

1. A flashlight for blackout use comprising a casing containing the usual batteries and bulb, a cylindrical hood mounted on the bulb end of the casing vandprovided-with a' closed, outer end and an opening in one side through which light from the bulbmay be projected, a shutter within '7 side and further being weighted on said side whereby the shutter always maintains by gravity a position with its opening directed downwardly .and light can be projected from the flashlight only when it is held with the opening in the hood registering with the opening in the shutter. v

'2'. A flashlight for blackout use comprising a casing having the usual batteries and bulb, a cylindrical hood mounted on the bulb end of the casing and provided with a closed outerend and an openingfin'o'n'e side through which light from the'bulb may be projected, a hollow shutter element associated with the hood and situated concentrically thereof, means mounting said shutter element for rotatingmovementabout the common axis of said hood and shutter, said shutter having an opening in its side wall which may be brought into register with theopeni'ng'in the side of the hood by. relative turning movement of the hood and shutter aboutsaid common axis, and a weight mountedon the shutter on the side thereof having the opening therein whereby the shutter will be held by gravity in a position with its opening directed downwardly and light can be projected from the flashlight only when it is held with the opening in the hood registering with v the downwardly directed opening in theshutter.

LOUIS. A. POPE. 

